WASHINGTON 10 March - Rev. Samuel Kobia, general secretary of the Geneva-based World Council of Churches, prompted faith-based counselors the importance of spiritual discernment as the basis of their actions to influence change in the world.

While addressing the opening worship service of the Ecumenical Advocacy Days for Global Peace with Justice conference Rev. Kobia said, “Work for peace with justice is exhausting work. Spiritual grounding is needed to keep us moving," Often "in our own prayer life, we get lost in the day-to-day work" and the details of advocacy briefs and meetings”

Remarking that international institutions and governments are turning increasingly to churches for moral grounding and guidance on key social and political priorities Rev Kobia urged the advocates to use spiritual perceptiveness to de-escalate from the immediate issues of the day and to grasp Global issues.

"Speak truth to power using Christian beliefs," Kobia said.

Nearly six hundred advocates, representing a wide range of Protestant and Catholic Churches and organizations worldwide, participated in regional and thematic tracks during the four-day conference, held March 5-8, in Arlington, Va.

The focus was on Africa, Middle East (Israel and Palestine, Iraq), Asia (Korea), and Latin America. Two thematic tracks: Jubilee and economic justice, (trade and debt), and nuclear disarmament were among the issues addressed.
The United Methodist Board of Church and Society was one of the sponsors of the conference, which drew its theme, "I Will Feed Them with Justice," from the Book of Ezekiel. The board is the United Methodist Church's social action and advocacy agency.
According to Anna Rhee, the conference's program coordinator, the annual ecumenical advocacy gathering in Washington is focusing for the first time on international issues.

The conference aimed to connect people from different denominations around
issues of interest and to hone advocacy skills, explained Rhee, a United
Methodist.

For more information please visit http://www.umc.org